Yeah, it's pretty hard to turn down any dog once you see them. Going to the pound is a terrible idea unless you are 100% certain before you go that you are getting a dog. It is impossible to see those dogs and not want to help them out.

Get me every damn time. As I'm sitting on the couch with my rescued dog... Little cartoon cats saying "Pick Me!" I know I'll have to adopt again... the question is when I have the time/funds/can make sure they get along with Maize.

Since people below have been describing their dogs... Maize is a 40lb Yellow Lab Mix with (best guess) Basenji and Whippet. Best decision I've made since graduation. She's got the frame of a lab, but she's really skinny. 40lbs makes her manageable without being emasculating (she fits on the bed/couch just fine). For the Pics-or-it-didnt-happen-crowd... Maize:

Definitely. You can't understand the meaning of "man's best friend" until you have your own dog. Be prepared to wanna pull your hair out many times at first, but it gets much better once your dog trusts and respects you. I have a fox red Labrador, he's 8 months now, 65 pounds. Hes my best pal now.

I got my dog from a breeder in Cedar Springs, about 40 minutes north of GR. I go to school in GR, and am originally from the Flint area. I Have had dogs all my life, definitely would not buy from a pet store. Good link though, very sad.

It's a big deal. The only way to stop puppy mills and to minimize euthanized pets is for the public to not support puppy mills by not buying from pet stores--their primary customer. The puppies are often sick and have serious, long-lasting problems.

Only shopping at stores like PETCO, that don't sell puppies, lets you vote with your wallet.

One of my friends has 5 cats in his apartment. I spend a lot of quality time with the cats when I'm over there. It's so cute when I leave my jacket next to me on the couch and one of the cats curls up and goes to sleep on the lining.

One can also try some the breed specific rescues, if you have your heart set on one breed. Their adaption criteria is usually a bit more stringent, but its worth it to get a dog you really love. That is how my wife and I got George, our Airedale.

We got to rescue a dog that needed a home and the Airdale rescue only asked for a $300 donation. Win - Win

Labradors are really good dogs. People shy away from the giant breeds but they often have the best temperaments. Irish wolfhounds are really awesome as well. Lord Byron's poem was about his Newfoundland. I know it because I'm a sucker for poetry and literature. It's quite famous though.

One who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferosity,
and all the virtues of Man without his Vices.

This praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery
if inscribed over human Ashes,
is but a just tribute to the Memory of
BOATSWAIN, a DOG,

I have a Lab and I can't agree more about big breeds. My five month-old daughter is in love with the dog, and his size keeps him from being threatened or concerned about her. He'll never bite her out of anger or fear. My only concern is that he'll knock her down accidentally.

Honestly, he will probably knock her down a few times before he learns how gentle he needs to be with her. I'm sure she will be fine, but he will get excited and accidentally knock her over. When he sees her reaction he'll be mad that he upset her and then he won't do it again because for the most part dogs are protective and eager to please. That's how they learn.

90lbs that's a big boy! I bet he's extremely protective of your little girl too. I had an American Bulldog when I was a young guy and my parents said he would get extremely upset if someone he didn't recognize went near me.

When she was learning to walk, she grabbed our (now deceased) dog by the jowels and pulled herself up to standing. I wasn't close enough to stop it, but I was close enough to see him look at me, and with his eyes say, "REALLY?" and just take it.

He was a golden retreiver, and not a lab, but the temperment is very similar. They are just great with kids. We put him down when our son was 3, so all of the kids learned to move, crawl, and walk with an 80 pound dog around. He never knocked one of them down.

Now the kids are 13, 10, and 6 and we have a 13 month old golden puppy (Maizey). She still has some puppy nips from time to time, but *NEVER* a bite. They adore the dog and the dog adores them.

As long as the dog is well-tempered then they're usually pretty tolerant of small children, especially with big dogs as they don't pose a threat at all.

Whenever nieces/nephews are over, mine sees them as being part of his pack and constantly tries to herd them in to a group to keep an eye on them. Cute to watch, I imagine it's irritating as hell for the kids though.

We have an 85 pound Lab-Coonhound mix (a "Labrahound")- a rescue we adopted 3 years ago. He's about 10 years old, absolutely adorable, and fantastic with our 14 month old.

He was a little bit of a bull in the china shop when first dealing with our little guy - not aggressive, just not realizing that the little hairless puppy nipping at his heels can easily be knocked down. Several knockdowns have occurred, none caused any damage, though a few prompted tears.

That said, our Labrahound been incredibly gentle ever since he figured out he needed to be, and since our toddler has become a steady source of food (high-chair castoffs), they've become the best of friends.

she's been my family dog for 17 years and we just had to put her into sleep because it was time for her to go. Great, great dog though. Never barks, doesn't make a ton of mess (except fur shedding but it's normal) and always friendly to people. Not a real big dog, pretty tiny(like 75 lbs) but that's perfect for us because she's not too big for us to handle.

Once I'm done with grad school and have a real job, I'm getting a dog. Not sure which kind but I would lean to lab retriever.

I think I've mentioned it before on the board, but the 115 lb Doberman I had growing up was named Bo.

When I was very young and he was just born, my dad wanted to name him Brutus (from Popeye, not the buckeye), but when he tried to get me to call the dog Brutus, all I could pronounce at the time was "Bo", so Bo became the dog's name. Years later I realized the significance of that moment.

I have a golden retriever waiting for me to come back home after exams next week and I love her to death. I'm also a fan of the bigger breeds. My golden is so mellow, although she was bouncing off the walls as a pup. Also, big dogs are just so much more fun to play and cuddle with. Her only downside is that she sheds constantly.

If you use it every couple of days, shedding will be a near non-issue. If you wait and do it weekly, you'll get about a grocery sack of hair from a full-grown golden this time of year (losing the winter coat).

Seeing as how this is man's best friend, anyone with Netflix (might be on PBS website too, I don't know) should watch "Dogs Decoded: Nova". Pretty awesome documentary that explains WHY they are man's best friend and how they likely evolved with us (they read our facial expressions the same way we read eachothers', from the right side of the face!).

While it seems like a great name "Bo" is a terrible name for a dog when you're trying to train him with the all powerful "No!." They sound too much alike. I had a roommate with Bo the Golden Retriever and he was always confused with the 2 words - dog not roommate. For a little dog I'd go with Vince, Martavious, Desmond, AC, or any other diminutive Wolverine from years past.

As Cbus 91Wolverine has stated please do not name your puppy Bo, it’s too similar to “No” and will confuse them. It will hinder your training greatly, and in my opinion is extremely unfair to them. aawolverine also is correct in stating that sticking with a two syllable name is best. If your dog is still a pup the 1st 3 months after bringing them home are the most important so be prepared for the dedication needed early on. I strongly recommend you read a book called “Family Dog: A Simple and Time Proven Method,” by Richard Wolters available at most local libraries. While dated it offers a wealth of knowledge on how to raise your pup and the time you need to spend with him/her while he or she’s still growing.

Also while I’m sure there’s a better way I could pass this along here’s small socialization checklist you can use during the 3 months I eluded to above. He/she will be socialized plenty using the below.

MEET

• toddler

• young girl

• young boy

• teenage girl

• teenage boy

• another puppy

• older dog(s)

• cat(s)

• farm animal(s)

• person w/ motorcycle

• person w/ bicycle

• person w/ stroller

• person in uniform

• person wearing glasses

• person wearing a big hat

• person wearing strong perfume

• person w/ an umbrella

• person mowing their yard

• person using a hose

• person using a power washer

• person in a wheelchair

• person using a cane/crutches/walker

HEAR/SEE

• baby crying

• people shouting

• thunder

• siren(s)

• blender

• fireworks

• loud music

• vacuum

• train whistle

• car starting

• blow dryer

• blow dryer

• garbage truck

WALK

• over a bridge

• on a sidewalk grate

• up and down stairs

• through tall grass

• in shallow water

• on gravel

VISIT

• veterinarian

• pet supply store

• playground

• drive-thru

• lake/river

• beach

• construction site

Lastly below are (4) other posts on potential name choices….

For what it’s worth my lab is named after Bo, but his name is Schemey and he's one of the best things in our life.